


Oh Brother

by Sillage6



Category: She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018)
Genre: Abusive Relationships, Alien Culture, Alien Technology, Alienation, Angst, Bluetooth, Body Horror, Brainwashing, Canon-Typical Violence, Cyborgs, F/F, F/M, M/M, Mental Coercion, Meta, Multi, Not Canon Compliant, Other, Telepathy, cloning, waiting for Season 5
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-11-15
Updated: 2020-06-24
Packaged: 2021-01-31 05:10:55
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 8
Words: 16,992
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21440758
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sillage6/pseuds/Sillage6
Summary: Horde Pride never fails, he adapts.Horde Pride never asks for efficiency, only excellency.Horde Pride never allows individuality, only initiatives.Horde Pride never gives special treatment, only exceptions.____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________How Adora and the League of Princesses of Power freed Glimmer, Catra & Hordak from Horde Prime's controle....by the point of view of a clone who didn't ask anything.The fic was started between season 4 and 5, so don't raise an eyebrow if my character doesn't act and speaks 100% like in the show.
Relationships: Catra/Scorpia (She-Ra), Entrapta/Hordak (She-Ra), Hordak & Horde Prime (She-Ra), Hordak & OC, The Horde (She-Ra)
Comments: 20
Kudos: 98





	1. Prologue - The Incubator

**Author's Note:**

> The author is not English-Speaker so she writes Fanfic to improve her English. So please signal me grammatical errors and weird sentences. 
> 
> And of course, I'd like to heard your opinion and your correction !

Eyes closed, SU1 was not sleeping. Too many tasks needed his attention.

His body trapped inside the control panel. His brain connected to the interface. His mind present in the whole Ship.

Under his feet, 842 levels of life-fields which housed 10 000 biopods each, as many lifes growing inside.

Corridors and reconditioning rooms were shut down. No reborn procedure was required by Horde Prime.

The Born-Ship moved silently in the cold space ignoring the rest of the Hordian Fleet.

But SU1 was not alone. Sometime, the Fleet broadcasted reports, from clearance Level 1 to 3, about the progress of the Great Empire. Galaxies discovered. Planets colonized. Wars declared. Resistance crushed. Resources extracted.

Nothing to worry about. SU1 continued indifferently the cyclic mission of incubating new brothers for the Emperor.

No defective had been reported. No reborn-procedure was required. SU1 succeeded perfectly this last generation.

Underneath his feet, another generation of clones was shaped in the bio-luminescent pods.

Suddenly, a Level 4 information uploaded in his head : Unidentified source of energy was measured in a corner of the Empire. The Fleet has to move to study it.

“_SU1.”_

At the moment he felt him touching his mind, SU1 suspended his tasks in order to give the Emperor all the attention and respect he deserves.

“_SU1. __You’re aware t__he__ Fleet __is moving __t__o__ the source of this energy__. __I intercepted a message at the same moment of the explosion. The link between it and the odd energy has to be c__larified__. However I’m sure this message was sent by __Unit-81518.__” _

The Imperial Voice was echoing both inside his skull and the Ship.

“_O__f course, you don’t__ know w__ho I’m talking about__. __You were not m__ade__ at this __era. __U__nit-81518 was __one of __my f__inest__ general. And my greatest shame, I have to admit.”_

Horde Prime paused.

“_He was an imperfect ! This scum dared to hide me his physical defect ! For his mistake, I s__tripped him for his ranks and s__ent him__ in the battlefield. A __pretty__ d__eath __for __a failure and a liar, don’t you think?”_

SU1 thought nothing that needed to be signaled.

“_Quiet as a__lways__, __little brother__. Anyway, __its seems he may have survived__. __I’m not __so __shocked. __As you know u__nexplained__ events c__ome__ always __accompanied with surprises and anomalies. If __o__ur brother_ _has something to do with this, I will need y__our talents __to understand why and ho__w__. __Be ready __and stay alert__.__”_

SU1 has just received an information Level 5 from Horde Prime.

Cycles later, another Level 4 report came to his consciousness : An unknown planet emitting the same strange energy teleported in front of the Fleet.

SU1 noted the information and returned to his cares. As new the phenomenon was, it did not require any of his skills. No reason to abandon his post and leave his soon-to-be brothers to the mindless management of the AI.

The Born-Ship was pitch-black. The only light came from the life-fields.

“_SU1 !”_

SU1 suspended his tasks in order to give the Emperor all the attention and respect he deserves.

“_SU1 !_ _81518 __was __definitively_ _behind th__is __!__ Believe me or not, he c__laims__ h__e’s__ conquered a __world__ in my NAME !__!! __This insolent ! I __send him to y__ou__ ! __C__heck e__very word __!_ _Every facts !_ _Everything he did on that Etheria ! __I need to __be sure he __really __deserves to be reborn !__”_

From his cabin, SU1 turned on one reconditioning room.


	2. Welcome Back

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> SU1 greets Hordak.
> 
> And some news of Glimmer and Catra.

Horde Prime had carefully printed his wills onto SU1’s brain :

_T1_ \- _D__iagnosis__ of __Unit-81518’__s __memory__. __Collect all the data a__bout__ the new planet and its inhabitants and resources. Reports ha__ve__ to be sent to Horde Prime __on the Imperial line__. No copy f__or__ the General Archives or __Secondary Archives __without __authorization._

_Level 4._

_T2 - __Diagnosis of Unit-81518’s __memory__. Collect all the data a__bout_ _the weapon designated “Heart of Etheria”._

_Level 5._

_ T3 _ \- _ D__iagnosis _ _ of _ _ Unit-81518’ _ _ s brain and body. Establish the _ _ success _ _ of Reconditioning. _ _ Establish _ _ the success of _ _ a _ _ ssimilating _ _ Upgrades. _

_ Level 4. _

His creator left a note mentioning the planet was named “Etheria” by its natives. There, 81518 was a warlock answering to the designation of “Hordak” and he had recreated Hordian Legions with native populations. When he was brought to the Imperial Ship, a couple of natives came along. SU1 did not know why Horde Prime added this last information. Then he paused when the image of two colorful individuals formed inside his mind. They looked like frighted animals.

SU1 ordered the interface to release his body from the control panel. He slipped out the monitoring coffin while bio-cables fell off his collarbone, before packing themselves in their containment. He was blind for a moment, not due to the darkness of the room. One Mech-Arm descended from the ceiling to attach his black helmet on his face. Bio-cables, similar to ones of the control panel, jumped to the tech-ports behind his neck. The helmet switched on and SU1 was again everywhere in the Born-Ship.

Another arm fixed his harness on his back. He extended all the appendages to check it was functioning properly. As he moved his feet to his destination, three Med-Orbs get out the wall and fled silently behind him. At distance, the Incubator modified their parameters for the coming mission. In the corridor, he sensed a stretcher gliding from and rejoined the end of his retinue. The Born-Ship was dark and quiet while they descended. Sometimes, a faint green gleam escaped off a bio-pod before being caught by the anthracite surface of his tools.

Arrived in front of the gateway, he stopped and waited. When he received the signal, he turned on the lights from the gateway to the reconditioning room. Three units arrived behind that door. Their arrival coincided with a stress peak measured in this area. Nothing to worry about.

The door opened on Unit-81518 held by two escorts. Immediately two defensive arm spread out the walls to aim the source of stress. SU1 never understand why the escort clones were often more stressed than the defective. He knew his mere existence awake a fear among his brothers. A fear so deeply buried under their conditioning, their training and Horde Prime’s grip : being one day eradicated by SU1’s hands.

“Potential thread is irrelevant. Temporal suspension of the defensive protocol”.

The arms folded up and became part of the setting. The master of the Ship could enable mentally the arms but he preferred to reassuring his brothers by voicing the command. Although the faces remained stoic since they arrived, SU1 felt their tension. Statistically, it is near impossible for them to be eradicated. Before to be declared imperfect beyond salvation, one had to be reconditioned several time by SU1. Usually for the Incubator, one operation was enough to erase all trace of individuality forever. So this fear was completely irrational, but so does most of the instinctive thoughts he could not eradicate. Without fear, his brothers would never even try to reach the excellency their Creator demanded.

Between them, Unit-81518 was gazing the void. SU1 slowly lifted up his chin. Green eyes indicated he was under Horde Prime’s mental control but his pained expression shown he did not submit totally to the Imperial Yoke. He was suffering from the Clash. To his command, the Med-Orbs deployed their captors on his body. His vitals were good. Few contusions and deficiencies, but nothing serious. However the cerebral scan proved he was in a state of shock. His long-lost brother had clearly experimented a series of intense events in a short period. Teleporting a whole planet for retrieving the Horde was certainly the cause of his state. Thankfully, he had a remedy. SU1 opened up his helmet and smiled :

“Welcome back among us, brother. I am SU1 the Incubator and you are currently in the Born-Ship to be reconditioned. Don’t worry, I will fix you and you will able to join the others”

Receiving no answer, he pointed the stretcher :

“Place him on it and tie him up. Carefully.”

_ \---------------------- _

Finally alone, SU1 placed his hand on 81518’s own to feel his pulse. Physical contact are efficient for recovering to mental instability. His brother was watching the ceiling but his face betrayed his traumatic state. SU1 was not sure if he was really aware of his presence or where he was. He bent over him to initiate an eye contact.

He had seen that so many time before. Clones who had been isolated from the Horde and disconnected from the Emperor’s telepathic hub. In order to complete their mission, they used all they know to adapt and come back to the Fleet. However the longer they stayed alone, they had more chance to develop an Individuality, and by so, they distanced themselves from the pack and the Emperor. If a soldier returned to Horde Prime, a mental Clash often occurred between his fresh Individuality and the Imperial Pyschic Yoke, resulting to manic behaviors and sometimes aggression toward the other and toward himself. This was how the best soldier of the Universe could turn defective.

SU1 was pained to see him in such state. According to the files, his brother spent several eras in an unknown planet, presumably colonized by the First Ones. In order to find his way back, he had to achieve many feats and i n the process, he forged himself a strong individuality. Now this individuality was harming him. His psyche was unstable.

The only way to restore his brothers is reconditioning. The procedure was far more complex than erasing all the memories with a Menta-Machine. Even without remembrance, instincts and mental maps linked to prior individuality remained. Before being affected to the Born-Ship, SU1 had saw so many Reborns coming back to reconditioning, puzzled by a mental defect they could not explain. The necessary element of Reborn is the acceptance of the subject to abandon his individuality and for that, the most efficient way is to talk and explain. Thankfully, SU1 was perfect for this mission.

“Brother, listen carefully. We are going to move to the reconditioning room. For that, we will cross all the ship. Firstly we will walk in the corridor. Then we will take an elevating board and traverse the life-fields. Please, if you heard me, do not break anything. If you see or feel something wrong, tell me.”

The Clash often disturbed Defectives’s perception of time and space, as well as their capacity to assimilate new information. They tended to panic easily in an unknown environment. So explaining and repeating even the simplest fact was necessity. As well as turning on the lights. SU1 could download the same information by connecting his helmet to his skull, but he had violently learned that touching numerically a broken mind cause more damage.

The retinue slowly rejoined the elevating-board. SU1 monitored the stress level. He never broke the eye contact with 81518 despite that his brother’s gaze never stayed on anything more than few seconds. His eyes frenetically jumped from a corner to another, from a light to a Med-Orb, from a shadow to sometime the Incubator. It was only while ascending among the life-fields than his brother reconnected with reality. 81518 blocked the elevating-board by grabbing one pod.

_“_ Imp_.”, _he said softly, fixing the little clone floating in bio-liquid. Expecting for an answer ?

_“- _Do you want to see him ? This is F-71984. He is currently on phase 3 of development. It means he is able to sense his environment but not understanding it yet. So he cannot answer you.

\- Imp.

\- However his brain is enough developed to secrete stress hormones. I can show you if you promise me not breaking the pod or doing loud noise.

\- Imp...”

The long spikes of his harness detached slowly the pod and putted on the stretcher. 81518 placed his palm on the green lining, near to the head of the foetus.

“- He seems alright.”

SU1 chuckled. Just for that, he commanded the Ship to bring another pods at their floor.

“Our soon-to-be brothers are always alright under my cares. Look a this one. Here is F-72356. His legs were not correctly shaped so I performed transplant to correct that. I am telling you because now the surgery is invisible. And this is F-71743. He gave quite a worry. He had a developmental delay during phase 1 because some genes shut down. He was smaller than the other. I had to isolated him for a rebalance therapy during several cycles. Now he is perfect like the others.

\- This is not Imp.

\- Of course, it is not. These are our future brothers.

\- You’re not Entrapta.

\- I am afraid I am not. My designation is SU1 the Incubator.

\- I am in a Breed-Base ?

\- We do not used this designation anymore. During your absence, Horde Prime had reorganized the cloning infrastructures. All the Breed-Bases had been dismantled and reunited in a Specialized Mobil Station, the Born-Ship. You are currently aboard and I am SU1 the incubator. I am in charge of all the cloning procedures.

\- I remember I’m supposed to be reborn.

\- Of course. My second responsibility is reconditioning operation. Reconditioning rooms had also been dismantled and moved on the Ship. I am in charge of everything here.”

His brother blinked when he heard the last sentences. However his mind seemed to connect with reality. SU1 gave him more time to familiarized himself with the environment and the pods.

“_SU1.”_

SU1 left his brother to his study in order to give the Emperor all the attention and respect he deserves.

“-_ Damn you and your stupid conversations, little brother. Just go start the memory analysis. I need information right now !_

\- It would take less longer than excepted. 81518 i s very receptive to speech and his psyche seems mostly intact.

-_ Then why don’t you start ?! Send_ _me immediately everything you can find on those two natives.”_

New directives are displayed in his consciousness :

_T1-1 - Native-1, Designation “Queen Glimmer of Bright Moon”, Faction undetermined. Determine its nature, its capacities, its position, its liability and its compatibility. Determine its connection to the weapon designated “Heart of Etheria”._

_Level 5._

_T1-2 - Native-2, Designation “Captain Force Catra” Faction “Horde of Unit-81518”. Determine its nature, its capacities, its position, its liability and its compatibility._

_Level 4._

SU1 analyzed the new image of the pink-purple individual and the brown-orange-red one. They were more frightened than the last time, even thought they tried to mask it. Horde Prime cannot read their brain because Menta-Chip were not added to them yet. Nothing to worry about.

“_Of course, they are f__rightened. __They w__ill dine in the presence of the Sun himself__.”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wanna be a cyborg so I could use Bluetooth to control a SpaceShip and make coffee at distance !


	3. Such a life

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> SU1 read Hordak's memory and take an important decision.

After explaining slowly to his brother the different examinations he had to pass, SU1 started by dismantling the exoskeleton. It was a mix between the wild technology of First Ones, an imitation of Horde Prime’s cybernetic and a third form of technology that made the junction between them. Very efficient. And very elegant. He wondered how 81518 managed this hybridization. Alas his brother was deaf to any of his questions. Maybe his consciousness snapped out again.

Withouthis suit, SU1 observed his body was slender and sharper than the usual clone. He must had been an excellent top general since Horde Prime did not notice his flaws at first glance. SU1 wondered how 81518 concealed his thin body in the conventional armor back in time. He also had a bluish and grayish veins on his skin. And his hair was dark blue for whatever reason. Could it be the signs of his weakened state ? Or of his defect ? Or maybe the generations after his exile received an anesthetic upgrade. The Archives mentioned Horde Prime changed his clones’s appearance several time during the precedent eras and SU1 was concerned by modifications of color.

The Orbs took samples of tissues, fluids and marrow. The first results were not positive. His brother differed not only in his stature but also at the cellular level. Several bio-component were missing or atrophied. His body had muted adapting to “Etheria”. Another hypothesis for his difference of skin tone. In order to complete a perfect Reconditioning, several limb and organ transplants were necessary, as well as changing his blood and his spinal cord. And his Menta-Chips and Tech-Ports had to be changed for a more upgraded version. These operations would be heavy with high rate of rejection. If one of them failed, SU1 would have to eradicated him. The Incubator kept this information for him for the moment.

“81518, I will proceed to your memory analysis. In order to extract reliable data, you have to be in trance during all the procedure. I will use a mix of sedative and light-hypnotism. You will be not awake nor asleep. I will lead mentally your memory with mental suggestions. So it is necessary that I connect myself to your Tech-Ports and enter into your consciousness. This sensation can be unsettling and invasive. Do you think you can support it ?”

SU1 knew too well this procedure was violent for the mind and that even the most cooperative Reborn could turn into a manic beast in the middle of it. His brother was motionless during his explanations, but the scan did not lie. He opened his helmet, putted two fingers on 81518’s cheek and rotated slowly his head. An eye contact was needed.

“- What is the problem with the procedure, brother ?

\- The problem ?

\- The neuronal scan measured a rise of activity and I can feel your tension. What is your problem with the procedure ?

\- I haven’t any problem.

\- You have one or several. Do not worry, it is my function to deal with Reborn’s problem. Tell me. What is your problem ?”

No response. 81518’s face remained stoic. Common.

“- Is it about the fact I will see your failures ? Do not worry, it is my function to correct Reborn’s failures. You will be analyzed and reconditioned, not eradicated.”

Again no response. SU1 tried another approach :

“- Is it about “Imp” ?”

Now 81518 tried to mask his surprise but the helmet signaled several areas of his brain activated.

“- Do not panic. I try to understand your problem. Who or what is “Imp” ?

\- He is my assistant…and an imperfect clone of…us. He is too small and not fully developed. But he is a good spy.

\- Usually isolated soldiers recreate military technology and built bases and ships. This is the first occurrence of a Unit cloning another Unit for adapting. Interesting. Is Imp alive on Etheria ? I will probably have to study his case.”

The neuronal scan signaled this statement provoked a large amount of irrational thoughts to 81518. His face turned faintly red. Another mutation ?

“- I think so. I hope…He disappeared during my fight with Catra…before Horde Prime teleported us.

\- I understand. And who or what is “Entrapta” ?”

More irrational thoughts erupted in his mind. An great amount that SU1 made worried about 81518’s stability. He putted his whole palm on his cheek, helping him to stress down.

“- Is “it” your main problem ?

\- She…was my lab partner. She helped me with the portal. Without her and her talent, I wouldn’t be here.

\- I understand. Cooperating with alien natives is common among isolated soldiers. As well as valuing them. It does not compromise your status. Where is she now ?

\- She die…on Beast Island.”

It explained a lot. SU1 wanted to clarify in order to bring his brother to accept he must forget Imp and Entrapta. But he felt the Imperial Yoke tightened up around his mind. Horde Prime did not need to say anything to tell he was not pleased. End of the conversation. SU1 hastened the procedure.

He placed his brother on the translucent tub and filled it while wires descended to connect.

“Do not panic brother. This liquid will help you to detente and keeping you safe if you move during the operation. Please immerse yourself. I will soon inject you the sedative. Clear your mind and focus on the light.”

Slowly his green eyes closed. SU1 connected 81518 to the Mental-Machine, then himself. He cleared his mind and plunged.

** _ \---------------------- _ **

Moving in his memory was complex. 81518 was resisting to the Incubator’s intrusion . However SU1 managed to gather quickly data on Native-1 and Native-2. Unit-81518 had an interesting history. It was a succession of experiments, failures and adaptations to a unique environment.

81518 failed to clone himself but he succeed to produce a modified clone with wings, “Imp”. It is hard to believe his brother did it with his low-tech pods. As much as imperfect he was, Imp was technically and biologically functional. Even the wings, although being an superficial feature, was a success considering the technological underdevelopment of Etheria.

His most impressive actions was how he made soldiers from natives. He adapted the training of Units for different species and morphology. The training program was a sum of martial education, his brother was not able to create Menta-Chips and download skills and knowledge into the natives’s brains. He could not recreate the quality of Horde Prime’s soldiers but his army was organized and servil. Even chased from the Horde, 81518 continued to bring order to the inhabitants of a chaotic planet.

Etheria was an anomaly at many levels. Its most notable specificity wasthis strange technology called “Magic”. 81518’s memories were not clear. It was both an energy, a biological phenomenon present in Fauna and Flora allowing some natives to dispose of kinetic faculties, a form of science developed by a faction called “Sorcerers/Sorceresses of Mystacor” and a component present in all material and living things on the Planet. More important, the First Ones intended to exploit it by terraforming the planet into a mass-destructive weapon. Magic” was the base of the weapon and it was possible to master it. The data were scattered they created a controller, the “She-Ra” and a keydevice “the Sword of Protection”. Typical from the First Ones.

It was less easy to gather more information concerning the weapon. Apparently 81518 was more determined to conquer the planet and contact the Hord e rather than studying in dept the technology of First Ones. He had delegated this mission to its purple native. A smart decision knowing the means and resources he had at his disposal. This technology was also often programmed to cannibalize living things in order to a chieve their tasks. How many of his brothers SU1 had to eradicate because they had been infected by level 3 Crystal Virus ?

** _ " _ ** _ Imperfection is what makes scientific experimentation possible. Imperfection is beautiful. At least to me. _ ** _ " _ **

This paradoxical statement ran on the loop in his mind since the beginning of the memory analysis. One of the causes of the Clash. Somehow, both of the sentence and the individual gave 81518 enough psychological supports to persist. But now this thought was hurting him and had to be erased.

It was inconvenient that the individual “Entrapta” is dead. It had treated more data on the Planet and the First Ones than 81518 and did several major technological advances for the Horde. No wonder his brother valued it to the point to consider it his equal. The native was enough intelligent to create the hybrid exoskeleton, even though it added a Data Crystal. Did this purple technician know this type of Crystal can hack the brain of an unprotected soldier if it was programmed for ? Hopefully it was not. Nonetheless assimilating this native would have a valuable asset for the colonization of Etheria. Inconveniently Native 2 had ordered its eradication procedure.

** _ \---------------------- _ **

SU1 compiled and sent the dats and started thinking. His brother was sleeping in the clear water, recovering of this mental dissection. 81518’s individuality was powerful, but so did his potential. Among all the Reborns who passed under SU1’s care, 81518 was the one who stayed isolated during the longest period and the one who faced different situations and developed the most diversified range of skills.

Practicing the regular erasure meant losing 81518’s knowledge and potential. Clearly a waste for the Horde. Plus the operations required for the Reconditioning had a high rate of failure resulting to his death. SU1 searched on the Archives an alternative to Assimilation and found one either perfect for his condition and for conquering the “Heart of Etheria”. He send another report to Horde Prime and stand still, waiting for his answer. His Creator called back immedialty :

“- _SU1_. _I read your report of 81518’s diagnosi__s. And your recommendation. According to you, he is too weak to support the Reconditioning. So it w__ould be__ better to turn him into a Key of First Ones ?_

\- In fact, it is one of the projects you developed. The data collected proved the weapon and the infrastructures of the First Ones are currently under control of one of them “Adora” the She-ra. It controls the planet with a primordial key designated as “the Sword of Protection”. In order to get the She-Ra out of the equation, the Horde can create another key that will surpass the SP. A key with the capacity of calculus and initiative of a Unit, but protected from the tech-cannibalization by our most recent and efficient Menta-Walls. A key of the Horde. With a sentient key, the Horde would take control over the weapon, the Runestones and the princesses and cut the She-Ra off the magic energy and the infrastructures, make it defenseless. It could save time and resources.”

\- _C__lever __idea__. As always._ _Why do I need __81518 __for __this project ? I __can__ take a phase 5 clone and download all the data in__to__ him._

\- 81518 had already the data on Etheria in him. More important he had experiences and skills specific to this environment and his body has started to mutate. He also learn recently to use a hybrid technology. To sum up, the period spent on Etheria made him highly specialized to Etheria. With a selective erasure, he is the perfect unit to deal with the infrastructures left by the First Ones. I am able to separate his technical knowledge and experiences from the instinctive and irrational thoughts. In fact, it is the regular reconditioning procedure.

\- _Your initiative__s__ never stop to su__r__prise me, little brother.”, _chuckled the Emperor. _“__However I wonder if this recommendation of yours hides a __different __motive.”_

It was not...

“_Don’t dare to r__efute__ me.”_

The Incubator shivered. This Tone. Not good. The Med-Orbs started beeping, alerting a peak of stress.

“_I know you __empathized__ to __81518\. __As you always do with Reborns. But this time, your empathy i__s__ deeper. __You think his p__ast acts are__ impressive. You see him as __interesting.__ You __see him as...b__eautiful __maybe__._ _So __I wonder__ w__hat __is__ the r__eal__ motive b__ehind __this recommendation ?_

That was not what he suggested...

“_Oh ! But i__t __is. It_ _l__ook__s__ like__ you want to keep __81518 __for you. Don’t you ?”_

Panic erupted. His instinctive thoughts were insolent. The Med-Orbs beeped louder while his stress escalated.

“_Answer me.”_

SU1 need to say something. Something to calm the Emperor. To please the Emperor. So he let his instinct talked :

“Well...I cannot lie to you...Maybe I have not realized I am exited….to have a brother with me…with such experiences…to work in the Born-Ship… on a new project. And….well…I admit…I planned to teach him how to do my fragile puppy look !”

Then a huge silent. SU1 waited.

“_AH ! AH ! AH ! AH !”_

Horde Prime’s laugh resonated in every corners of the Ship. SU1 kept waiting nervously.

“_You never change ! Anyway, I authorize the project “__Key of The Horde”__. __I will send the Menta-Chips and the cybernetic __e__nhancement you need__. __C__hange__ the d__esignation__ of “Unit-__81518”_ _f__or__ “__Special Unit 2”_ _in the General an__d __secondary Archives. __N__o need to waking __him __up __to explain it, you have lost enough time__. __Erase all his memory except the data regarding Etheria and the technology the First Ones __had __gracefully o__ffered__ us on this planet. _ _And don’t disappoint me.” _

SU1 could destress himself. Despite eras of direct conversations with his Creator, he never mastered his humor. He mentally modified the Archives and plunged again SU2’s mind.

_ \---------------------- _

In the dinner room, Glimmer was in an uncomfortable position. Horde Prime was terrifying, and above his mannerism and his expressions were hard to read. Making him more terrifying. Since the day she was teleported on this Vessel, the Young Queen weighted every word or movement, fearing to do a mistake that could anger the Spacelord.

But now he started to laugh. Just like that ! For no reason ! No one said anything. In fact no one talked since they are eating. Oh Stars, this guy was also crazy !

Glimmer send a quick glance at Catra who replied with a terrified face. Oh no ! Even her smartest opponent couldn’t handle him. What will happens to them ?! What will happens to her planet ?!!!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Horde Prime is the type of guy that change the color of his clones' skin when he redecorates his interior.
> 
> Also SU1 is the expert of dealing with emotion in the Horde but can't recognize a blushing.


	4. The Newcomer Part 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Horde Prime decided to adopt Catra as his kitten.  
Yes it's as creepy as it sounds.

“- What is your designation ?

\- SU2 the Key of The Horde.

\- Where are you located ?

\- Room T-800, Floor 2, on the Born-Ship.

\- Who do you serve ?

\- Horde Prime, Master of The Horde and Emperor of the Universe. My Creator.

\- Who is your commander Unit ?

\- You. SU1 the Incubator.

\- What is your function ?

\- I am a Special Unit designated to interact with the technology of the First Ones as a Key and Controller.

\- Are you functional ?

\- I am currently in phase of development and incomplete. I am not tested yet. Using me in this state is highly not recommended.

\- What is Etheria ? What is the “Heart of Etheria”.

\- Clearance Level 4 : Etheria is a planet surrounded by eleven moons inhabited by sentient humanoid species regrouped under several underdeveloped civilizations. Clearance Level 5 : Etheria houses the ancient weapon of mass destruction designated as the “Heart of Etheria” created by the First Ones.”

The two clones could now communicate without voicing. The enhanced Menta-Chip were functional.

“- What is Entrapta ?

\- I do not understand this statement. Can I consult the Secondary Archives to find this designation ?

\- No need. Abort this order. I need to inspect your wounds. Turn your head.”

Under the Med-Gel, the surgical cuts were clean and almost cicatrized. SU2’s body did not reject them and his brother quickly learnt how to use them. A recovery period is required before performing the second techplant operation. The neuronal scan was clean. No instinctive nor irrational thought were detected in his brain. The reconditioning had been done perfectly despite the procedure took longer than usual. Horde Prime ordered to skip the procedure of acceptance, by consequence SU1 had to menta-manually erase his individuality piece by piece during hours. SU2 had a hard time for letting it go.

“Assist me on your suit, brother.”, he mentally ordered.

Based on Horde Prime’s blueprint, the Key armor suit was a masterpiece of Hordian technology. The idea was rather simple : the Unit and the armor are composing the Key of the Horde. First they blurred the signal and pretend to the AI to be any device of the First Ones connecting to their infrastructure or hub. Then they hacked and tech-cannibalizing the infrastructures of the First One. If the Key of the Horde was as efficient that Horde Prime theorized, they could convert a tech-hub in few minutes, maybe few hours for Etheria.

However, the First Ones were not the first engineers of the Universe for nothing. Their technology was complex and adaptive, with the main feature to incorporate any system, energy or material. Too much adaptive and complex for their own good. SU1 remembered the case of LV-426, an ocean planet controlled once by unmonitored IA whose primary mission was studying and preserve the water life. It established in order to protect the living organisms from their environment and from themselves, it stored them into capsules, leaving an empty ocean with dead floating cities. So the armor compiled trillion of programming and devices allowing SU2 to adapt to any possibilities, any scenarios, any anomalies. SU1 added many adjustments to the armor-suit, copying and improving the former exoskeleton that supported SU2’s defective body. Thankfully his brother remembered everything he knew about tech-hybridization.

“_SU1.”_

SU1 suspended his task as the Emperor downloaded his wills onto his brain. Another blueprint displayed into his mind. Horde Prime required Native 2 “ Force Captain Catra” had to undergo an Assimilation. But not the standard Assimilation. But this time the Emperor did not want an access to its mind and memories, he wanted to turned it into a soldier Unit. A third Special Unit.

“_I found this little feline quite interesting, if not entertaining. __Sadly_ _the Force Captain of Etheria proved to be quite insolent. __I need you to make a few experiments.__”_

Another Special Unit to create. For eras, SU1 was the only one. For receiving two Special Units in a short time, he may had done a perfect job.

“_This is no reward, l__ittle brother__. But necessity. You are the only one I __can trust __for this task__. Don’t fail me.”_

Stress came back. He lost again the control of his thoughts. The Emperor’s laugh reverberated in every room of the Born-Ship. SU2 lifted up his head, mentally asking what was wrong. SU1 explained their Creator had the Prime Commandment over the Born-Ship and sometimes used the speakers to communicate his orders rather than transferring them.

_ \---------------------- _

When the gateway opened, three arms spread out and aimed three sources of stress. Two of his brothers held the new Special Unit. SU3 seemed unconscious. Its red and black uniform was torn apart. Its brown ears and tail were loose. But the neuronal scan said otherwise. Common. SU1 ordered his brother to tied it up to the stretcher. Finally alone, he opened his helmet :

“Welcome among us, SU3. I am SU1 the Incubator and you are currently in the Born-Ship to be assimilated and improved. Don’t worry, I am here to take care of you. You can talk to me.”

The native kept pretending to sleep. SU1 was not surprised. A dark sting emerged of his harness and came near to its head revealing a medical saw. When he activated it, SU3 opened its eyes and screeched.

“- I knew you fake being unconscious, SU3.

\- Okay, okay ! You win ! I was faking ! Get this thing out of my face.”

SU3 watched the saw, terrified. SU1 observed how its hears pivoted at 180 degrees up. Fascinating. Then the ears went up as SU3 realized something. Suddenly, it caught the saw and put it on the shackles. Spark and blood dripped on the stretcher while it yelled out of pain.

“Brother, no !”, screamed the Incubator. Why did it asked to take away the saw for jumping on it on second later ? Before receiving his new brother, SU1 rewatched SU2’s memory for a prediagnostic. Every act, every word, every body reaction coming from SU3 were carefully analyzed. Sadly this self-harming confirmed his second hypothesis : SU3’s psyche was broken. Thankfully the wounds of its pawns were not deep. SU1 replaced the circular saw by another sting.

“Calm down. The Med-Gel will stop the bleeding and anesthetize your tissues around the wounds. You will soon stop feeling the pain”, reassured SU1 applying the green gel on the furry forearms. “You must not harming yourself in the Born-Ship. You are safe here. I am not yet sure what makes you feel bad, but I will fix it.”

It looked at its coated fur, puzzled, then at SU1. Its ears rose and went down three times. Apparently the auricular movements was linked to SU3’s mental state, probably following its instinctive thoughts. Instinctive body reactions had been observed in many organic and vegetable species. The Incubator wondered if erasing them was required for SU3’s Assimilation. He noticed his brown little brother kept continuing fixing him, a smile showed on it face. It pulled on SU1’s black spike, drawing him closer, as it was about to say something.

SU1 bent a little, but realized too late his mistake. SU3 jumped off the stretcher and hit his chin its head. The shock made him fall on his back, SU3 brutally landed on his chest and tried to pierce his eyes. Out of breath, he reacted by protecting his face with his forearms. From behind, he saw SU3 throwing blow after blow, slashing desperately the white fabric of his uniform, and finally shifting with its fists. Mech-Arms spread out the wall but could not shot yet, not with SU1 close to the target. It immobilized itself in an instant. SU1 quickly disarmed them and extended all the dark spikes of his harness. He needed to captured it, not eradicating it. Hearing the clicking, SU3 jumped again off his stomach to the door.

“Prime told me I will meet his greatest scientist, but I only see a perfect idiot !”, yelled SU3 running into the shadows.

SU1 laid still recovering for the lack of air and the rush of adrenaline. In fact, the first hypothesis was confirmed : SU3 was cunning and undisciplined. Internally, the Incubator sighted. It had been a long time since an Unit intended a senseless escape. He ordered the Ship to seal all the life-fields and all the rooms, switch off all the lights and keep the Mech-Arms folded, preferring to send silent Security Orbs tracking his manic brother. Arms were enough against intruders but their Laser Cannon were not pertinent for restraining procedure.

“- Commander SU1. Permission to ask why the emergency alert is lanced ?”, asked SU2 from his level.

“- SU3 attacked me and runs in the corridors. Nothing to worry.”, answered the Incubator, lifting his arms when one sting sprayed the cuts. “Continue your work on the armor and do not leave your room.

\- I cannot manipulate safely high technology in the dark, Commander.

\- Of course, you cannot. I give you the clearance for using the sensors of the Born-Ship.”

He modified the structure of the corridors, moving the walls in order to create a maze leading SU3 to it assigned surgery room. It ran for minutes in the darkness, then stopped, clearly panicked and disoriented. SU1 ordered the Security Orbs to surround it and finally stood up.

_ \---------------------- _

Minutes later, SU3 was beside him, on three of its four limbs, in a defensive stance. In the pitch black corridor, it clearly could not see SU1 but it had heard him coming. But not the Security Orbs few steps behind it.

“- I know you’re here ! Show yourself !”

\- If I do, will you cooperate and come with me, SU3 ?”

SU3 made a quick on the left, closer to an Orb. Its cardiac pace accelerated and its breathing was difficult. SU1 had to restrain before its stress kill itself.

“- In your dreams, coward ! Stop hiding in the dark and fight me.

\- I do not want to harm you. Please, stop resisting. Your stress is high now. You will hurt yourself again.”

SU1 made one step, not long each to reach it, but enough noisy to make SU3 react. It worked. SU3 thrown its claws at SU1’s throat. All the orbs extended their cables and send an electric charge on the feline. The lights slowly lit. SU3 was lying shocked but still conscious. Its tail made intricate moves. It tried to stand up despite the spasms of its muscles. Its arms was weak and its body fell again. Its growled out of pain. SU1 ordered an Orb to send a preventive charge. Then he opened his helmet :

“Do not worry, brother, I lowered the power. Now you will be sedated.”

SU3 made inarticulate words. SU1 knelt and extended a sedative needle from his harness. Suddenly SU3’s hand caught a cable and plunged it on his face. SU1 had only time to feel the electricity thorough his body and his Menta-Chips. Then he was nowhere in the Born-Ship.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First part of SU1 & Catra's meeting. I had an hard time to write this chapter so I splet it in two.
> 
> SU1 lowered twice his guard in this chapter. But you need to understand, it is the first time he sees a cat people


	5. The Newcomer Part 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Second part of the chapter, this time from Catra's point of view.

The electricity ran under her skin forcing her muscles to contract. But she carried on, pushing the tentacle on the doll's face. She didn't care that the electric shock was harming her body, she would never allow him to wake up an fight back. Burned flesh came to her nostrils and iron felt on her tongue. His limbs moved like a dismantled puppet under her. The robot pulled desperately its cold tentacle out of her grip. But she kept going despite the white lights appearing on her eyes. Finally, the tentacle freed itself like a whip, leaving a burn on her palm.  
  
Catra fell onto his opponent like a stone. Breathing was hard. Her throat was into spasm. Her head was spinning. She tried to sat up straight. Then threw up on the floor. She needed a moment before collecting herself.  
  
Around her, all the robots had deployed their tentacles, menacing. Electricity buzzed, reverberated in the corridor, making an deafening noise, as if a giant nest of wasp lived behind the walls. Strangely, they didn't attacked her. Why ? Thinking fast, she remembered the guns in the walls didn't shot her earlier in that lab when she overtook the clone. They couldn't attack her without harming the clone ! As long as she stayed close to him, some mechanism prevented the bot balls to electrocute her.  
  
She looked at the clone. He was out, but the young woman heard an heart pulse and a faint breathing. His black spikes laid on the floor, like a dead spider. Catra felt nothing but hate and fear toward this thing. With a senseless rage, she punched repeatedly him in his face.

  
  
"So you think you can fix me !!! That you can threatened me with your stupid toys !!!"

  
  
All the tensions accumulated during this past days (weeks ?) in the Imperial Vessel broke loose. This place was awful ! This horrible Emperor that looked at her as if she was his entertainer ! These monstrous ships that never ended ! With only white rooms ! Even the robots here were horrible. They were just balls without any dot on their spotless metal. At least the robots of the Horde - Her Horde ! - had lights and limbs and looked to insects with a kind of face. Here they are just creepy bubbles ! Or guns lurking in the decors to shot her !  
And those Hordians ! They were all soldiers with the same face. With Hordak's face ! They never talked nor blinked even when she fought them ! Prime told they were his "dear brothers", "perfect in body and mind" but for her, they looked like dolls made of flesh ! They were no one behind these identical faces ! And now this "scientist" who tortured her. A disgusting living puppet pretending to be alive with his fake smile ! He was the worst !  
  
Catra yelled as loud as she could. Her scream echoed in the shadows and slowly faded. She realized how gigantic was this ship. And how hopeless she was. There was probably no one else here. Except the statue guy and the nest of robots continuing to to threaten her with their light show. And the silence.  
  
Realizing she was alone, the Force Captain let her tears flow. How did she fall that low ?! Burying her face on her hands, she wished to go back in time. Before Scorpia and Adora abandoned her. Before she opened this stupid portal...

  
  
An amount time passed. The bot balls kept wasting electricity around her. Her eyes had dried now. She thrown a quick glance to her new human bed. He was still asleep, his head covered of claws marks and bruises. Suddenly she noticed something new. His mask was coming a bit off his head. Curious, she slowly lifted his head to remove it. It was attached by four wires going down in his back.  
  
Another thing she hated here was the technology. She couldn't make any sense of it. Since she was here, she didn't see a button or an handle. Every door she walked through opened without asked to. Every time Horde Prime wanted to show them something, a screen appeared. But she never saw any remote control or control panel. Maybe that thing was her answer ? But until now, she never saw any of the doll wearing something except the white uniform. He was the first.

Carefully, she slided her hand behind him and tried to disconnect the wires. They were stuck in his back. And apparently his tunic was opened behind. She blushed at the touch of his back muscles. She lifted him, listening his breath if it changed before inspecting. What she found was dreadful. All the wires weren’t stuck behind him, they were under his skin ! He was connected to his equipment by the top of his backbone. Like a machine. That was sick.

Taking a breath, she pulled them off all at once. A dumb move. The skull of the flesh doll spliped out the mask and hit violently the ground. The sound of the shock echoed in the corridor. Catra facepalmed herself. The bot balls didn't do anything, aside kept buzzing to her head at a reasonable distance. She looked at the clone, expecting to smash again his head off with his own mask if he woke up. He did not.

  
  
With two black valves on the front, the cask looked like a big beetle hanging around its user. How could this guy see with it ? It didn't have any holes ! The outside was made of the same black metal of the balls but the inside was by green electronic circuits. It reminded her the inside of Entrapta's robots. And another thing, but what ?  
  
It w as a little big for her. If she wore it, what could happen ? Could she take control over the robots or would it turn her brain into jelly ? I t was a stupid idea but she was desperate to find a way out of this hell . Catra took a deep inspiration and put it of her head.  
  
Nothing happened.  
  
Of course ! Nothing happened ! What was she thinking ? Horde Prime would never let a stranger use his stuff that easily ! She need to be a machine man like this guy. Furious she took off the mask and smashed it several times on the floor.

  
  
"It is normal you cannot use it."

  
  
She'd almost died on the shock. The doll had s at with difficulty.

  
  
"- Its circuits are fried. Plus I do not transplant you your Menta-Chips and your Tech-Ports yet.

  
\- What's the hell does it means ! You're awake all this time ?

  
\- I regained consciousness when you remove my bio-cables. You cannot use an helmet yet. First, you have to receive the Enhanced Assimilation and the authorization.

  
\- Again, I don't understand a damn word of what you say !"

  
  
Something was wrong with the living doll. Blood came from his nose and his eyes. And they were red now. Like Hordak. Apparently, his condition didn't seem worrying him much because he stood up too.

  
"- I have to operate you. And if you let me do with cooperation, you will be able to connect to the interface and use an helmet.

  
\- Operate me ?! No way !

  
\- I ask you for the last time, please cooperate., as the doll stand up. The stings of his back made a key noise. The power was out. At least he couldn't used against her.

  
\- Go to hell !

  
\- I see."

  
  
He didn't attacked her. Instead, he teared off the spikes of his body and let them fall on his feet. She made a disgusting sound when the clone mutilating himself. It was like watching an insect cutting its own mandibles.

  
  
"Don't come closer !"

  
  
Free from his dead weight, he turned to Catra, moved one feet and raised up his arms, adopting a self defense position. Blood leaked on his cold face. The feline imitated him, wielding the mask like a shield. She gave a quick glance at the bot balls. They were still in the same position.

  
  
"- I know you can't control your robot without your mask !, she snarled to the doll., This time I gonna beat you for good and recover the ceiling with your brain !!!"

  
  
And then something weird happened : The doll sighed and r esponded to her provocation with a weary expression. Catra gasped out surprise. There was a person facing her ! He was an actual person !  
  
The clone opened his mouth and simply said :

  
  
"Security-Orbs. Deactivate shockers."

  
  
Catra's blood froze while the robots retracted their tentacles one by one. Everything was silent again. Even her opponent. Her legs started to tremble.

  
  
"Born-Ship. Corridor 5-E. Deactivate light and gravity."

  
  
Catra didn't had the time to react when night fell . Blinded again, s he tried to dodge something but her body left the ground. Panicking, she wage her hands hoping to catch something. A blow on her belly cut her in two.  
  
The last thing she remember was an arm around her neck and a piercing pain.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For a doctor, SU1 doesn't really care about his health. 
> 
> Thank for reading me and Happy End of the Decade everyone !


	6. Hey Sister !

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for publishing this one after a hiatus. I find a new job and then Covid-19 happened, so big and small changes in my life.  
But here a very long chapter where Catra's feelings are on Space Mountains, between fear, laught and consternation.
> 
> (Btw it's not the new trailer that pushed to continue the story. In fact I had new ideas, started to write again and checked later the news ;) Sorry if I make you wait)

"_Wake up._"  
  
Catra regained consciousness painfully. Her mouth was dried and she suffered from headaches. Cold rays of light blinded her.  
  
"_WAKE UP !_"  
  
Her vision was blurred for a moment, she couldn't understand where she was or what happened before. She vaguely perceived being in a room poorly lighted but her body was wrapped inside something smooth.  
  
Then in a corner of her eyes, she saw the slender dark figures. Her heart rate accelerated when she understood the shadows were machines with the metallic arms and sharps tools. Immediately her instinct told her to jump but her throat was crushed. She felt the sudden contractions of her muscles against metallic pressures. Restrains were around her stomach, her shoulders, her neck and all her articulations forbidding to move an inch. In her panic, she twisted and turned her body in a desperate attempt to slip out this grip but it made her suffocating more.  
  
Suddenly the pressure around her neck disappeared in a _click_. She took a deep salutary breath. Warm hands seized her arm, rubbing it slowly.  
  
"Breath slowly, SU3. You are disoriented but you are in safe place."  
  
She turned her head a little to this friendly voice. Hordak was here, holding her hand. His red eyes betrayed his worries. His bat-like features was bruised and stained by green...glue ?!  
  
"What....?!!"  
  
The scene was so odd that Catra forget her terror : Hordak was stupidly staring at her like a mother hen with dried goo on his face ! It looked like a failed camouflage make-up. Three bot bubbles floated around him, adding more ridiculousness to this picture.  
  
Her memory came back in flash : The Portal. Horde Prime. Her deportation. The Born-Ship. The mad scientist with a spider-like arms. His mask. The bot bubbles. The med-gel.  
  
She looked again at the spider-man. He was still looking at her and was still looking stupid. How could she mistake this idiot for her former leader ?!  
  
"-_ Finally I have your attention, _said a voice descending from the dark.

\- Horde Prime ! What does that means ?! Why am I here ? After everything I did for the Horde, is this how you thank me ?!

-_ Oh but I am really appreciative of your service. You have served __the__ Empire quite well and you will continue to serve it once SU1 will correct your flawed nature._"

The emperor purred. Catra was certain he wasn’t in this room, probably talking at distance through some invisible communicator. In the Vessel, he didn’t tell her why he discarded her or where he was sending her. So why would bother to come to see her ?  
  
_"I admit read__ing__ the report S__U1 writes on__ your escape attempt was e__ntertaining__. It has been a long time since a clone overcome h__im__ and you did it twice in a short time ! In you luck, you even disconnected my little brother from my Mental Hub. And when I saw the __footage__ of you after your victory, howling and crying like a cub ! Ah, ah, __ah __! You __sh__ould see yourself, you were hilarious !_"  
  
The raw laugh of the Emperor invaded the room, vibrating the surgical tubes and tools. Shame overwhelmed Catra while she remembered this moment of weakness. Horde Prime continued :  
  
"_Ruling over a myriad of worlds is a complex mission, especially when most of them are inhabited by different sentient species. Some of them are such odd creatures that are not easy to __control.__ I admit I __am in__ need for soldiers with your ingenuity and your adaptiveness. Who know__s__ how to turn difficult situations at their advantages. However what I do not need is an ambitious g__irl__ who think to her self-interests before those of the Horde. A g__irl__ who __falsified reports__ several time to her superior and killed one of the most useful element for the Horde. What do you think I shall do with such g__irl__ ?_"  
  
Catra stayed mute. She was already embarrassed by her recent lost of self-control. Now he reminded her mistakes of the past months. Under a threat. She wished to be at miles away from this dreadful place. Or being dead.  
  
"- _Answer me._

\- I...I don't know. I'm not in your head.

-_ Of course, you can't. You are too p__rimitive__ after all. What I shall do is keeping the soldier and get rib off the g__irl__. Erasing any trace of her existence in your little skull._"  
  
Her blood turned cold. He was talking about"reconditioning". The same punishment he sentenced Hordak.  
  
"- No ! Please don't !”, she pledged, Don't turn me into a doll ! I can be...

-_ Be grateful to me._, Prime said darkly,_ I give you another purpose in the Horde and allow to be Reborn. This is more than a creature __of your kin__ you shall expect._"

A faint static sound signaled Prime had shut down the communication. Catra struggled again against their shackles. But it was useless. Taking long breath, she forced herself to calm down. There must be another way to free herself. She just needed to look around and find a smart idea. What could she use here ?

Aside from a dull lamp lighted directly at her, this rooms was dark. At least the bot bubbles with there lightning arms were nowhere to see. But she was more worried by the infernal machine surrounding her from the shadows. It was a nightmarish blocks of green diodes, cable, tubs, syringes and sharp tools coming from the ground and the walls. All she could understand of this it was a sort of medical technology and she was at its center, on an operation table.

They changed her clothes. Her ripped uniform had been taken off and replaced by a soft white suit covering her whole body from her feet to her neck. Catra glanced suspiciously the clone. Did he touch her while she was unconscious ? All she could feel was numbness coming form her wrists and a side of her neck. She hoped he’d only healed her.

Catra decided to keep also an eye of the three dark bubbles topping him. They could be a sort of small model of the robot she fought earlier.

The clone made a swift movement and a holographic panel appear in front of him. The young woman was surprised. It was the first time she saw one. Looking above his shoulder, she saw diagram, plan and strange scripture she partially deciphered. But it was medical for sure and about her. The written language of the Space Horde was close what the Horde on Etheria taught to the orphans. Back in the Imperial Vessel, Catra didn’t inform Prime she could read and almost understand the inscriptions under the imperial statues. And it was not the most interesting thing she read in entire life.

The mad scientist was not wearing his mask or this spike corset, making him more human. He wore the same white tunic like the other cloned dolls, except it was wide opened behind, revealing a muscular back stubbed by metallic holes, drawing a complex motif on his flesh. Catra couldn’t repress a disgust noise when she realized these holes were ports for wires. Somehow her jailer noticed it :

“- Do not worry, brother, you are safe here.

\- Okay, first, I'm not your brother. I'm not a dude. I'm a woman !

\- I see. Your species has several genders and you are an incubator.”, commented flatly the clone.

\- How did you called me ?!

\- An incubator. Your reproductive organs allow you to naturally produce and incubate new individuals in your womb. The Horde have already met species with different genders and methods of reproduction, you know."  
  
Strangely she was not furious at the weird sentence. Usually people who made fun about her intimate parts ended with less skin. In fact no one ever did that. She cut anyone who dared to talk bad about her look in general. But the spider-man said that without mocking her or condescending her. He talked innocently it like he would do about the feature of a tank. Without judgment nor second thoughts. He just didn’t care ? Or understand that speaking about “reproductive organs” was private for anyone ? That was surreal.  
  
"- Uh...yeah, I'm woman.

\- Since you are a "woman", what is the equivalent of "brother" in your vocabulary ?

\- "Sister..." but...

\- Then I will call you "sister" and you will call me "brother".

\- Hell no ! This is not how it's work !

\- It is since now you are part of the Horde. This is how Units called each other, SU3.

\- Stop calling me like that ! My name is Catra ! I'm not a freaking number !

\- You are no longer a Native, but an Unit. Your designation is now SU3.

\- And who said that !

\- Horde Prime."  
  
Catra froze. Of course. He just decided she was his thing. And she couldn’t complain nor oppose to him. Here, he only needed to say one thing for making it real. She was no longer a Force Captain nor Second of Command. She was no longer herself. She was no one. Worst, she was...a number. After everything she did to bring the Master of the Horde to Etheria, this monster will erasing her mind !  
  
"- What does your master plan to do with me ? He didn’t bother to explain to me. He just...throw me there.

\- Reconditioning Procedure and Enhanced Assimilation.”, her jailer explained, “Usually, when the Horde has natives, Horde Prime installs Menta-Chips to read their mind in order to extract valuable data on their world and to conquer them efficiently. But they never joined the Mental Hub and they were never considered as Unit. But not for your case. He want you to be a performant soldier.

\- But why ? Why bothering to do this surgery. Can Prime just...give his orders like normal people do. I'm already part of the Horde ! I'm a Force Captain !

\- Not anymore. Horde Prime has just ranked you as Special Unit. You will need the Menta-Chips and the Tech-Enhancement so you can use our advanced technology. But first your alien biology need to be experimented in order to know if your body will adapt to them.

\- What ?! This is not safe !

\- Do not worry, 84% of these tests will be done on samples of your tissues. The more delicate part will to determine if your neuronal system can accept the Menta-Chips and adapt itself to the new sense it will acquire. If it is not, your psyche could be damaged. It will be tested on a virtual simulation during all this procedure, so you will not suffer from physical pain….”  
  
Catra broke into laugh. Hearing this was too much for her.

“So I’m a guinea pig on an experimental project ! Ah, ah, ah ! I’ll probably lose my mind in the process. Ah, ah ! That’s just perfect ! Guess I shouldn’t mind dying if I get nut before ! I gonna be...”

She stopped when the clone seized her hands and stared intensively at her.

“I will do everything to prevent it to happen, sister. I will not engage any needless operation that will harm your mind and your body. I will not engage any neuronal procedure until I am 100% sure that it will keep you alive and intact. You are in a safe place here. I will keep this place safe until you can leave it sane and perfectly functional.

She was stunned by the sudden onslaught of declaration. The clone took a compress and wiped out her cheeks. It made her realized she was crying. And he was comforting her ? She wasn’t quite sure how to interpret this gesture. He silently dried her eyes and left her to attend the machine.

“- Why does Prime even bother with me…,” she said mindlessly.

“- You are a Native with potential and resourcefulness,,” the clone explained without noticing it wasn’t a real question, “But also unable to understand nor formulate what you desire, resulting to an erratic behavior and irrational decisions like hiding information or disobeying to your commander. I have observed this phenomenon before in many Reborns.

\- Wait ! This is what Prime says about me ?

\- This is what the analysis of SU2’s memory has revealed.

\- That's all ? Where is this report ?! I want to read it !

\- You will once I installed the Menta-Chips in you.

\- You don't have it with you.

\- Of course I have it.

\- Are you... are you making fun of me ?! That's make no sense ! Either you have the report or you haven't the report !

\- The report is on the Mental Hub. All the brains of the Units and all the AIs of the Horde are connected to it. It does not physically exist. So you cannot read it yet. Do not worry, you will probably read it after being Reborn.”

She shivered. Prime sentenced Hordak to be “reborn” that day. Princess Glimmer dared to ask the Emperor what being Reborn meant and what happened to Hordak. He simply said it was a medical procedure correcting the mind of his clones. Since that day Catra never stopped to imagine what horror her former leader was subjected.

“- What….is exactly a Reborn ? Prime… Your master used this term once about Hordak.

\- A clone Unit developing an individuality that needs to be erased. Usually it occurs when one of our brothers is isolated from the rest of the pack. When he comes back, he often cannot fully connect to the Mental Hub nor obey efficiently. His individuality resists to the Imperial Psychic Yoke. This brother is brought to me here for reconditioning procedure. Thus, he is “Reborn” and perfectly operative.

\- How do you do that ?

\- I place our brother in an altered state of consciousness. Then I enter in his psyche through the Menta-Machine”, he pointed toward the medical nightmare in the room, “And I erase his useless thoughts constituting his individuality.”

The clone would erase all her being with this thing like she used todelete files in her computer. Transforming her into one of these living dolls. This was purely brainwashing. Why didn’t they call it for was it is here ? Maybe Prime thought it was more fancy to named it differently.

“- Is this what happened to Hordak ? You brainwashed him.

\- Who ?

\- Hordak ! Your brother ! The clone on Etheria who made the portal !

\- You mean SU2. Sorry, I did not memorize his former designation. He is here. Recovering for his reconditioning.

\- He’s here ! Does he...does he remember me ?

\- He has rebornt successfully, so he does not remember your common past.”

She should be glad that Hordak had now no clue of what she did. He wouldn’t take a revenge on her anymore. So why this news made her feel more lonely ? Why did she feel so cold now ?

When the clone putted his claws on her shoulder, she jerked off before understanding he did it because she was crying again. How rich ! The only person in this place that showed her a bit of consideration was the guy who would brainwash her soon. Scorpia's smile came into her mind. She was her only friend but she made her flee. She would forget her too.  
  
"- Do you want to erase these thoughts ?

\- Wh...what ?

\- These irrational thoughts that you make you feel violent and erratic, I can erase them.

\- You...you can do that ?

\- I have to do it. You are in pain. The standard Reconditioning procedure consists in erasing irrelevant instinctive and irrational thoughts. The first step consists to select and erase the memories provoking theses undesirable thoughts.

\- You mean you will erase some of my memories that make me sad but you'll let the rest in my brain ?

\- You verbalize it differently but the logic is correct. However Reconditioning is an invasive procedure, extremely damageable for the psyche if it is not done correctly. And one factor of success requires that you accept to let these memories disappear."  
  
Somehow, the idea sounded not bad at all. She was no one now, and Horde Prime would not accept her as his soldier without this “Reborn” procedure. Why should she keep climbing to those painful memories. It was not like somebody was waiting for her on Etheria. Not anymore. If being brainwashed meant forgetting her mistakes, why not.  
  
But still something deep inside her kept her alert. Something was wrong about this "Assimilation Procedure". Hordak could barely tolerate her failures but Horde Prime was a worst control freak than him. During the hours (or days ?) she spent on the Imperial Vessel, she learned he was obsessed by Order and Perfection, in pathological way. He had hidden quite well during her stay, but she knew that Sparkles and her were some monsters at his eyes, or at least some less valuable "creatures".  
So why would he include such imperfect soldier like her to his already perfect soldiers ? The spider-man told her this SU3 stuff was an experimentation and it was unprecedented in the Horde...  
  
She shivered when she realized what was also unprecedented for the Horde : another Horde full of non-Prime clones. She recalled, at some point during the dinner, the Emperor mentioned he had only used clones in his army. Adding the fact she is the test subject of an operation that had never done before. And the fact this medic clone said he had to pass a ton of test to see if her "alien biology" fit to their technology. Did Prime plan to turn all the Hordians of Etheria into obedient dolls ?!  
  
"What is wrong, sister ? The Med-Orbs detected a stress peak."  
  
Oh great, the robots here could read her mind too !  
  
"- SU...One, right ? Can I ask you something ? Does the report tell something about the outcome of the experiment on me ?

\- The report mentions nothing about a possible outcome.

\- So what this damned report says !

\- Phase 1 : We conduct the experiments and determine if your body can support the Enhanced Assimilation. Phase 2: We operate your Reborn Procedure.”

We ? Catra looked at the table she was chained on. Did he consider she will assist in this lab “experimentation” ?! Nevertheless the clone was quite talkative now. Maybe if she could dig a little...

“- And I guess there is no phase 3. But you seems to be the smart type. So maybe you have a little idea why the Emperor’ll do with this “experience” ? With me ?

\- No, I do not. Only our Creator knows.

\- Okay...why do you speak so freely ? I mean we didn't start on good bases. Sooo...why are you telling me everything.

\- This is clearance 4 information and you are clearance 4."  
  
This sounded logical. Clinically logical. Catra studied SU1 while he was preparing the machine and organizing the wires around her. Something in him had changed between their first fight and their second fight. It was not only the red eyes. It was his whole attitude. His movements were precise and calculated, but no longer robotic like before. They were agile and feline. His face was stoic but nonetheless sometimes a twitch of his hears, a small mimic or a quick glance on her betrayed this marble facade. He was no longer this flesh statue but a medic absorbed by his patient. Even his voice sounded less artificial, especially when he tried to reassure her. It was subtle but SU1 acted less like a doll and more like a person. A stern person but still. He reminded her... Stars, he was like Hordak but with more muscles !  
  
Did she accidentally free him when she took off his mask ?   


"- Su-One, can I ask something...a little strange ?

\- Of course, sister. Please do.

\- Are you sure you're not a real person ? I mean, don't panic but you look really different from the other clones I saw."  
  
The clone paused and stared at her, questioning. Catra realized her sentence sounded stupid since all the clones had the same face here. How could she explain it ?  
  
“Well...you ACT differently. Look, when you wore this mask you acted like the other clones. And by “like the others”, I mean...like a doll or a robot ! Yeah, all of you act mechanically like a robot and that’s creepy ! You moved like a robot, you speak like a robot, even when you tried to foul me by being nice and normal, but you failed ! You failed because you were on robot mode. But I took off you mask and since you haven't your mask, you...you changed. You stopped to act like them, and you started to act like...like you...”  
  
The clone busted in laughter, cutting her muddled explanation. Not a strong mocking snugger, but a genuine soft laugh came out his throat. But it was enough to melt all Catra’s doubts. There was no longer an human robot doll but a man laughing in front of her at some unwanted joke. She didn't see an uncanny Hordak look-alike, more like a twin brother. A twin with a nicer temperament. And a bit goofy. But at least Su-One was his own person, she was sure of that.

Then what he said next made her jaw drop :  
  
"- You are making a mistake, sister. My behavior is different because I am a Specialized Unit dedicated for healing. I assure you I do not have any individuality. I am perfectly functional.

\- But...but you admit you're a different. Does that make you an individual...?

\- It makes me a specialized Unit.

\- I...am sorry, I don't understand what you say. What are you exactly ?

\- I am Special Unit 1, the Incubator.

\- I already knew that ! What's make you so special !

\- I am a fixed defective."  
  
Defective. Prime made a mountain about it. Sooner she learned Hordak had a physical defect in his cloning. He had hidden it quite well because she never noted her Supreme Leader was supposed to be sick during all the years she was fighting for him. Whatever this “defect” was, apparently it was enough to outrage Prime to the point to send his top general to die in the front lines like a dog. And to keep complaining about it years later. Stars, the Emperor’s conversation during the dinner was so boring ! He made her regret Scorpia’s never-ending monologues. Thankfully Su-One wasn’t as chatty as his redundant “Big Brother”. However she needed to make him spill out more information :  
  
"- A defective ?! Like Hordak ?”, she said falsely, “But you seem to be okay ! And you're not suppose to be "Reborn" in that case.

\- My defect is neuronal and sadly unerasable.

\- Neuronal…? Are you saying you’re crazy ?!

\- Do not worry, it is not a serious syndrome. I am just generating a high level of positive thoughts but somehow I am able to channel them and I can process rational decisions.

\- I’ll repeat myself again but I don’t understand a freakin’ word you’ve said ! “Positive thoughts” ? “Channel” ? How these make you so special that Prime trusts you so much !

\- Eras ago, I was a Unit among many. But I tended to heal more of my brothers than fighting or doing logistic. It cannot be explained. My actions created an anomaly in the performance statistics. I had saved more clones in the battlefields than anyone in the Horde."  
  
Did he just confess being a softy ?! They were always two or three guys like him in each battalion. Usually, The horde transferred them to the medics or at the logistic.  
  
"- In his wisdom, our Emperor decided that if my defect cannot be erased, he can exploit it. He experimented on me before appointing me tasks adapted to my condition. This is how I became the first Special Unit.

\- And this is how you ended here ?

\- No, the Born-Ship was made 5 eras after."

Catra contemplated her new “brother”. She was not convinced about this “Individuality” and “Positive Thoughts” nonsense. Su-One had a personalty. He was the quiet type but also kind, and a little dumb, as kind people tended to be. Maybe Prime taught him he was not a real person. To keep him on leash. Or maybe it was a thing in this Horde she didn’t get it yet.

"- I don’t get it. How can you...

\- Can you paused your questions for 2 minutes, sister ?”, asked Su-One, “I have to connect myself to the Born-Ship."  
  
She heard a swift metallic noise exactly he finished last sentence. Catra chinned up but couldn't see a thing but it sounded like an automatic door had opened, but how ? It was supposed to be the ceiling. Something was descending. Su-One stepped few meters backward. He never stopped to smile to Catra, his crimson eyes telling her that everything was fine.

The young woman looked again at the shadows. A dantean structure revealed itself in the crude light, an odd gigantic arm with spotless black surface and a gleaming green eye on it spike. No, not an eye. It was a mask. It was the mask she destroyed !  
  
The arm continued is linear descent until it stopped perfectly aligned to the clone’s head. The scene was...calculated.

The mask opened like it was alive. Black tentacles came out of its insides and attacked SU-One, stabbing his neck. The man flinched but kept his posture while the tentacles dig onto his collarbone. His gentle facade dropped out for pain.  
  
"Hey, what is that ?!"  
  
The mask jumped at his face like a ferocious animal and swallowed it. For a moment his head was nothing more than a silent metallic orb. Only his ears flinched at a moment. The black arm retreated back in the abyss, leaving them alone.  
  
"Su-One..., she wailed unsure to continue.  
  
She reminded how Hordak fought against Prime that day. Pierced by the Emperor’s hair before falling down, mind-broken. Deep down, she knew something similar was occurring right now.

“Su-One…Are you alright...?”

Brusquely, the metallic head turned to her table and opened. The living doll was back with his green eyes and his faked smile.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Totalitarian governments in fiction tend to destroy concepts of Liberty and Individuality, but I always tought the most dangerous dystopias are the ones making them simply irrelevant.
> 
> Also there is a lot of dialog in this chapter. Because I love to write dialog.


	7. The Eye of the Storm

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mostly an interlude chapter. Next time, their will be action and drama !
> 
> Season 5 was awesome and I was happy that some of my ideas were similar to what we found in the show.
> 
> I decided to stick a little bit to the storyline of the show because it help me to finish the story.

The Puppeteer-Sentinels stopped their mental waves, identifying SU2 as a friendly bot. One by one, the monsters of perverted technology withdraw their weapons, then their light shield and finally their numeric walls. Few minutes later, they were now the puppets. SU1 entered in the test-room knowing it was safe.

The Key-Suit was fully operative. SU2 was able now to hack several Combat IA of the First Ones. He could not repress a thought of contentment seeing his brother infiltrating and submitting eight Puppeteer-Sentinels. How many Units were driven insane by these abominations ? How many broken brothers did SU1 eradicated because of the ancient race’s foolishness ?

The Med-Orbs made a quick check-up on SU2 while the Incubator contemplated his fixed brother in his pristine armor. He was perfect. Almost perfect. It only missed the external chip. Through it, their Creator would hack the planet and seize the Heart. More data on the weapon came while their brothers installed the hack-bases on Etheria. If the recent forecast was correct, Horde Prime could bring his light in the whole universe in no time. The only unknown was the exact propriety of the “Magic” energy...

“_SU1 !”_

The two clones suspended immediately their tasks.

“_\- SU1 ! For __the __honor__ of __my__ four eyeballs, __I order you to submit !!! Ah, ah, ah !”_

\- SU3, why do you mimic our Emperor ?, the Incubator asked.

\- _ So I sound like him ! _ ”, the fake exited voice responded , “ _ I wasn’t sure it’d work _ !

\- Yes, you do it perfectly but we know the communication comes from your room. This is not the primary use of the speakers.

\- Do not worry. I obey to the directive-3 : experiment the Menta-Chips in autonomy with the AI of the Born-Ship”, the female Unit answered, this time with SU1’s voice, “Wow ! That’s so cool ! I just need to think about your voice and I can speak exactly like you ! By the way, did you receive any news from the front ?”

The Incubator loaded her the last reports. Cycles passed since Horde Prime ordered the colonization of Etheria. Part of the populations submitted but most of the Rebel forces kept resisting in guerrilla war. A pragmatic strategy knowing their forces and theirs means. Magic technology was very potent but not powerful. Surprisingly, the Units of Etheria didn’t recognize Horde Prime as their leader and asking for SU2’s reestablishment. They feigned submission at first, then they bombed most of the Hordian Spire causing important damage on the Spires. Nothing to worry about. Recent data suggested they joined the Rebellions. It was probably for that reason Horde Prime suspended SU3’s project and prioritize “the Key of the Horde”. They did not find the “Princesses”, main elements of the First Ones’s weapon.

“- I see. Prime don’t do a better job finding them, SU3 commented this time with her own voice, Why does he bother to speak through speakers if he can directly pop things in our heads ? These Menta-Chips are so cool !

\- I do not know. Sister, I have to finish SU2 and send him back. Our Emperor cannot wait.

\- Fine, fine. I’ll go to “walk” in the life-fields. Tell ya if I see something wrong with the babies.”

SU1 internally smiled. “Going to walk” was her method to say she turned on the sensors of the life-fields one after one and observed her unborn brothers.

His sister had her own way to interpret her new environment. Their conversations were stimulating not only for her acceptance process but also for him. Every exchange brought new images to decipher. “Flesh doll”, “Bed-Bathtub”, “Robot Balls’, “Bot Bubbles”. He liked this one for his Med-Orbs. Very elegant. She even taught new vocabulary like “Softy” or “Creepy”. It was a word designating something odd, dangerous and frightening. She used it to describe everything on the Born-Ship she did not understand. And even Horde Prime.

Once she was gone, SU2 complained again about SU3 had not been reconditioned or eradicated for her disrespect toward their Creator. And SU1 explained once more her sister was an unchipped Native Unit, that why she did not act as the standard procedure. She would not be reconditioned yet because she needed more time. She had too many shadows to cast away.

And no, she would not punished for her behavior. Horde Prime had decided otherwise. Plus she was currently in a positive phase and her stress was low.

But this time his brother was not satisfied with this explanation and insisting to punish their sister. SU1 had to give more pertinent data this time. The Incubator took gently his brother closer to him and a bio-cable came out his helmet. It crawled up to his tech-port at his neck and stopped before. SU2 hesitated a moment. Direct mental connections without the Mental Hub or a virtual interface were unstable and dangerous if one of the clones was himself mentally unstable and unfocused. However SU1 trusted him.

When their minds were in perfect union, SU1’s memory flooded into his brain.

\------------------------------

Installing the Menta-Chips had been a catastrophic experience. SU3 was not ready for gaining a new sense. The first time he read her memory was terrible. SU3 woke up lucid during the operation and fought back. She was terrified when she realized her mind was now accessible by everyone and everything in the ship. Traumatized, she instinctively mute herself from him for cycles. For a moment he feared he broke her psyche permanently.

Until she called SU1 from her stase-tube by herself. Somehow she had managed to navigate in the virtual plane of the ship and found him without basic training or guidance. This was stunning. He remembered clearly her trembling mind desperately grasping his.

So for this reason, he did not connect her to the Mental Hub and instead let her experiment by herself in the virtual plane of the Born-Ship. This was the most logical way to let her adapt to the Menta-Chips. She had an unusual reaction when she see the first time the avatar of Born-Ship : “It’s a woman ! Dude, your ship is a woman ! Like the one in that castle”. Since then, she never stop to experiment on the features of the ship with the AI, “enjoying her company”. And she had made impressive effor to use her Menta-Chips. This was why she misused the speakers sooner. Before that she “played” with the sensors and the lights, then the elevators and the movable corridors making complex mazes with the architecture. Until SU1 ordered her to stop because it wasted to much energy and mech-fuel.

His sister was disturbed by the fact SU1 did use his knowledge of her “intimate thoughts” to “mock” her or “undermine” her. She was shocked when she learned she could have access to SU1’s thoughts. She did not expect such reciprocity from her “jailer”.

Somehow it made her feeling more safe around him. Even if she still refused to see SU1 physically. For a moment she supported the idea it existed a “fake him” with green eyes and “creepy smile” and a “real him” who was not “brainwashed by Horde Prime”. SU1 theorized the unrefined behavior he manifested during his short disconnection appeared familiar and comforting for her. When his sister finally dared to connect her mind to SU1’s, she was surprised and strangely frightened to see there was only one “him”. For the same reason she never contacted SU2 directly.

He made a mistake to think a native could be reborn as easily as a clone. For his brothers, reconditioning was coming back to an initial stage of their consciousness when the final training program was downloaded on their brain making them fully operative Unit. This blessed moment just before the extraction from the bio-pods. But his sister never knew this initial stage. His sister had always been an individual during all her lifespan. For his sister, being Reborn meant an unprecedented transformation of her psyche. It was the source of many negative thoughts. “You are asking me to die mentally” she said once.

Because he had not understand this simple fact sooner, he made so many mistakes that harmed her mental sanity. Installing Tech-Port, reading mind, archiving her memory, changing her clothes, shaving her hair for medical procedure. All these usual acts were for her point of view a brutal intrusions in her individuality. Since her individuality was all she knew, her primal instinct told her to preserve it. This was why she needed more time.

But he knew SU3 was slowly accepting this idea. The clone took time to speak with her about her issues one after one. And she had a lot.

Her urges of violence, her fixation on her former commander, her trainer “the Shadow Weaver” and her sister-Unit “Adora the She-Ra”, her mistreatment toward other native Units and “Entrapta”, her irrational choices driven by fear and arrogance, her seek rank and privilege above her station, her lost of her only “friend”. And her regrets. Many issues she would never solve and had to accept to let them go before reconditioning. Before being free.

\------------------------------

SU2 was...disturbed by the data displayed into his mind. But at least more compliant. The two of them left the Puppeteer-Sentinels to be dismantled by the Born-Ship and headed the teleportation chamber.

During their short travel in the unlighted corridors, the Med-Orbs measured a neuronal activity alongside with an increasing stress. His brother was worried. His facial expression was neutral as it should be. But the Incubator knew.

When he took place in the teleporter, SU1 opened his helmet :

“One last thing, brother.”

SU1 smiled.

“You are perfect now. So do not worry, you will serve our Emperor well.”

SU2 did not say and do anything, keeping his neutral facade. Except his face turned once again faintly red. SU1 sent his brother into the Imperial Flock.

Everything was quiet in the Born-Ship. A new generation of clone was peacefully growing in their bioluminescent pods. From her stase-tube, SU3 was studying her soon-to-be brothers. At light-distance, clones were taming the new planet. At distance SU1 parametered the Mental-Machine for the next procedure. He had to save his sister from her shadows and for that she needed to confront her painful memories in the virtual plane.

Suddenly the Born-Ship was hit by a beam. Followed by an explosion.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bot Bubbles. Catra said that because the robots are blind creepy metallic balls but SU1 thinks its poetry.
> 
> Also, SU1 made a mistake here. Guess what.


	8. The Invaders

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Darla made her big entrance !

SU1 woke up outside. His nose hurt and his members were cold. He had trouble to breath. Shock waves and adrenaline shots tried to reactivate his muscles and organs. All he saw was bright supernovas and colorful galaxies. But he was not supposed to.

Calm down. He was just regaining consciousness. What happened ?

His helmet was wide open, as it should be when the connection with the Ship broke. He lost one Orb but the last two succeed to save him from the cold emptiness of space by stimulating his vitals. It wouldn’t last. SU1 moved his head, finding a dreadful scenery.

In front of him, there were a hole replacing now the teleportation chamber. Engineering-Ants swarmed around to patch the breach. Metal was simultaneously melted and bent inward. It was caused by a large light-fusion shot. Which could only be caused by a large blaster cannon. Of a military spaceship. They were under attack. How the radars did not detect it ? And where was the attacker ?

In confusion, he activated the propellers of his harness toward the breach. He fought against the air leaking from the ship. Ants were already gluing the hole.

A flow of reports downloaded into his mind when he reconnected with the Born-Ship, but he could not read them. Mental Alert had been launched and it was a pain piercing through his chips. It was like his vessel was screaming. It had never be so much damaged. With difficulty, SU1 rushed into the corridor and sealed it from the space.

It took him a moment to recollect himself again. Slowly his mind started to handle the Mental Alert and the beeping of the Med-Orbs. In an important effort of distancing his consciousness from these deafening noises, he finally connected to the Mental Hub and knew what was actually going on : a military corvette sneaked in the Fleet and just fired on the Born-Ship. It was fast and made a first-era Eternian model, that was how the AI of radars did not detect it sooner. They were not calibrated for such outdated tech.

“_\- SU1 ! SU1 ! Are you there ? Answer me !_

\- I heard you my Lord, the clone replied panting, I am sorry I have been expuls..._”_

Another impact shook the ship and twisted the walls out. Air escaping again, sucked up by the emptiness outside. SU1 extended hastily all the spikes and stung himself to the floor. This time it was not a blaster shot. No, it was a collusion. Something was forcing itself into the breach. Another quake teared off the sealed door. SU1 discovered with horror the prow of the First Ones’s vessel. The monolithic ship had sunk into the dense Glu-Wall worsening the damages of the breach and parked itself in the once-was teleportation room. He was at few meters of the enemy, without any wall to protect nor hide him from its cannons.

“- Brother...the rebels are here. They are inside the Born-Ship !

_\- _ _I can see that through your eyes. Your brothers are coming. Just get the hell out of there !_”

SU1 was still pinned down by the winds created by the vacuum of the space. The front door of the alien ship deployed. Six figures in spacesuits went out. No, seven. One of them noticed his presence and pointed him to it groups. All the aliens had a movement of surprise before draw their weapons out. An alien Security-Orb stormed out the ship. With feet and purple diodes. The sight of the military robot made SU1 finally acting fast. He telepathically shut a door few levels behind, stopping the winds that pinned him own, and then crawled with his arms the faster he could.

\-------------------------

“- Okay, that was a giant spider ?! No one told me there would be giant spider in space ! Why are they spiders in space ?!

\- Uh..Mermista, are you okay ?”, Scorpia asked.

\- I hate spiders, okay !”, the mariner yelled,“They bite, they are everywhere and they crawls into my toothbrush ! I’m not even talking about spider crabs and sea-spiders ! Those wretched spaws of the abyss with...legs !

\- What I saw is a guy with some spider-arms.”, Bow said.

\- Oh ! Maybe it is the Spider-Man of the old legends !”, Perfuma exclaimed, “The mighty defender of the trees ! The cunning web-slinger ! The trickster who catch hunters and fire into his webs !

\- You have a legend about a human spider ! What’s wrong with you people ?!

\- Perfuma, I don’t think he is the hero of your tales.”, Adora rectified, “He looks more like one of the clone with robot-spiders-arms coming from...his back.

\- That’s fascinating !”, Entrapta said while playing with one the tiny robots, “It seems this Space Horde is able to hybridized their bodies with their technologies. I tried once to create mechanic arms but it didn’t work well.

\- Entrapta ! Who want to become a SPIDER ?!!

\- Extra arms can be really helpful during experiments.

\- Anyway we are not alone.”, Adora said nervously, “We must go now and find Glimmer quickly !”

Adora was on the edge. This raid was determinant to save her friend but it was not approved by all the members of the rebellions. For days, they played hide-n-seek with Horde Prime’s forces without really won any significant battles. More and more of their allies spoke about retreating in the Crimson Waste.

Until Entrapta caught by luck one specific message. One message about a transfer of a clone that had stayed a long time on Etheria and a “Native-one” to a specific Ship. A ship whose appearance didn’t look like a the others and whose function was “to made and remade ones” and “store ones or people”. It could mean a lab. But at least a prison. This Space Horde had a strange language but it was close to the one she had learned as a child. And Adora was sure this place hold Glimmer prisoner.

Imp floated from Entrapta to her shoulders. Moving in zero gravity in his little suit revealed to be harder for him. When he heard Entrapta had guven her voice for the raid in exchange of saving Hordak, he asked to be part of it as well. Well he asked in his own way.

“- What are you waiting for !”, Imp groaned to her ear with Hordak’s voice, “Don’t stand here like dead fishes while the enemy is attacking !

\- Okay, I just get two life-signal right above our heads !”, Entrapta exclaimed showing a map on her pad.

\- Two ? But this ship is supposed to be a prison. There should be more.

\- Yeah, I know, Adora. But I also hacked this little guy and find a map”, Entrapta pointed to the bug-robot trying to get free from her pad, “There is a huge area right in the middle with lot of little rooms inside. Hundreds of thousands of them in fact. But I receive no heat-signals from there. Nothing in fact. It seems to be closed.

\- Okay, so maybe we should start to find one of these two signals...and interrogate them about Glimmer and Catra”, Scorpia proposed.

\- It’s strange.”, Bow noted after examining the map, “The corridors and pieces are moving ! Oh and more ships are coming !

\- Oh great !”, Mermista whined, “Now more clones and spider-men are coming ! What do we do ?!

\- We can send Darla ! She can fight them alone !

\- Who ?”

Mara’s ship suddenly activated itself and flew out, breaking one last time the strange green plastic veil the poor little robots were rebuilding.

“Oh ! I forget to tell you I have added some new features to Mara’s Ship. And I name her Darla !”

\-------------------------

“_SU1 ! __C__ould you please c__alm __yourself __down.__”_

SU1 was panting. Rebels. The Born-Ship was invaded by rebels. They came here by themselves. Onto a First Ones’s ship above all ! A report just informed him one of them had already hacked an Engineering-Ant. This was...unprecedented.

He fled on a stretcher. No time to use the elevator, he must go to the control room as fast as possible.

For her room, SU3 contacted him in panic ! She asked incessantly who were attacking ! Her levels of stress were already high ! He must protect her and the bio-pods for them. He must neutralize these rebels soldiers before they reached them. This was his priority.

He stormed inside the control room and merged his brain inside the control panel. He was everywhere in the Born-Ship and now in full control of it, from the main propulsion to the smallest Ant. He would not let these rebels approached the life-field not the medical rooms. He had to keep them away from the superior levels. Made them fight security system of the Born-Ship in a closed maze could probably depleted their stamina them until the Orbs or reinforcement would finish them. The Natives of Etheria showed no specific features that gave them advantages for combat…

“_SU1 ! __Shut your mind up and listen !_ _I received better image__s__ from the __robots__. __Th__ese__ rebels __did not__ send average soldiers. They send the She-Ra and Three __of the __Princesses.”_

The Incubator froze at the sight of the illogical information Horde Prime transferred violently into his mind : Four of the essential components of the “Heart of Etheria”, the most powerful weapon of the First Ones and Rebels’s main asset, were here, behind their front lines and without any support forces. What did they send them on a suicide mission ? And why specifically here ? Did the “Key of the Horde” project leak ?

“_I’m as surprised as you, little brother. __But I don’t think they know about our little project. __They are more desperate as I thought. __I need them mostly intact. Occupy them enough until the reinforcement arrive.”_

SU1 double-sealed the life-fields and played the destressing sound patterns. He must avoid those bestial rebels to affect his unborns by any means. He rearranged the structures of the corridors and positioned the Security-Orbs in strategic points. Then he turned on seven reconditioning rooms for each of these aliens intruders. Containing natives was not their primary function but it was not an issue. He ha all the tools there to restrain these threads. Every directions they would choose leaded to only one destination. Soon they will be immobilized.

His Emperor chuckled of satisfaction.

“_I order you to slow __down __these primates but I see you are ready to capture them. __Your __ingenuity_ _never ceased to surprise me, little brother. __Give them the warmest welcome __on__ my beha__lf”._

\-------------------------

Adora enlightened the path with her flashlight. The path split in two. Strange. It was the first time of their long ascension they met a crossroad. Until them, they spend hours to walk in the same empty corridor with sometimes black floating balls that revealed to be fighting drones with tentacles awaiting their crew in a corner. They weren’t hard to destroy, but they kept coming by little grasp at a surprising regularity. Why didn't they send us more ? She also noticed since three altercations, surprise blaster guns came out the walls to assist the sentinels as if the difficulty had leveled up. It reminded her her holographic training sessions in the Horde.

They didn’t met anyone during their ascension. Nor heard anything. If it wouldn’t be this clone with the arms and this two life signals they followed blindly, she would have believed they landed in a ghost ship.

Combat in these experimental suits made the thing more difficult. Everyone was afraid to reap them off. Not only their movements were restrained, but Scorpia’s attacks lost power due to the elastic fabric. Since there is no water in space, Mermista had to carry a small quantity in a gourd. Perfuma with bags of seeds that gradually became thinner. Imp was not much help. And she didn’t have Mara’s sword anymore. And last but no least, they had to move and fight at the light of their torchs because there was no lamp in this alien technological-advanced spaceship ! This mission was not turning good.

“- More octopus robots will come. We should keep going. Entrapta, which way lead us to the life-signal ?

\- None of them. The corridors are always changing but the destination are the same : seven empty rooms, 42 levels higher.

\- And we are seven. Convenient…. Reaaaaaaally convenient”, Adora was now sure of their invisible enemy's intention, “They hope we’d separate. They are playing with us the whole time. They could send more robots to stop us since the beginning but they don’t.

\- Who ? Horde Prime ? The strange clone we saw ?

\- I can’t breath in this suit ! It’s so hot in it.

\- Mermista, wait !”, Bow tried to prevent her to do something stupid, “We don’t know if we can breath in this...

But Mermista proved him wrong by taking off her helmet. She gave Bow a dark look. First the spider and now black murderous spheres and guns appearing out of nowhere. This adventure wasn’t for her.

“Nevermind...Okay everyone. It seems we can breath here, but keep your helmet with you, just in case of...we are thrown out in space or something ! We don’t know what other traps this ship hides. ”

The whole crew was relieved in fact to get free from those. Mermista sat against the wall for resting a little bit. Perfuma took off her helmet too and kneeled beside, checking if her friend was not wounded.

“- Let’s take a break.”, Scorpia proposed, “Whoever are running this place, they won’t face us. They will made us run in circle and fight against ball robots until we’ll fall of exhaustion before we even reach the closest signal.

\- Yeah, I think the same”, Adora added, “And then they will pick us to the cells. We need to find a plan to best them. Entrapta, can you tell us if more robots are coming ? Or clones from the outside ?

\- Horde Prime keeps sending us ships in masses but Darla doesn’t let them pass. She is impressive ! I don’t see any octo-drone coming but I got the impression that someone tried to hack my tablet during the last fights. Or at least they tried to blurred my instruments. I need more data. Imp, Emily, do you see a not-much-broken around robot here ?

\- How I didn’t sense it before ?!

\- Mermista, what are you doing ?

\- Shhh !

Eyes closed, she lifted her arm and palmed the iron wall. She was listening something.

“- There is water...there is water flowing within the walls. I can feel it. A huge quantity of water trapped inside.

\- And it’s a bad new ?”, Adora asked.

\- At the contrary, it’s good news ! Watch this !”

Mermista clenched her fists and started a battle scream. The floor twisted itself and water erupted from it like a geyser. It was black and viscous, almost like oil. It swell never ended but it smell was indescribable. However it didn’t bother her : “I have a better plan ! Let’s dig a huge hole in this nightmare of ship !”

Perfuma, exited, thrown a bag of seeds that turned into vine twisting the floor, liberating more dark waters. Adora saw briefly serpentine circuits and a nest of cables and pipes from the opening her friends created. The strange waters rose to their mid-calfs.

“Thank Flowey ! Entrapta, where is this life signal ! I gonna made us a highway right to it !”

Adora exchanged a quick look to the rest of the squad. Imp wasn’t reassured by this huge display of power from the princesses. He retreated a little bit behind Adora’s neck. At the contrary, Scorpia and Entrapta were of course enthusiasts. Bow gave her a quick shrug of their shoulders meaning “Why not !”. As far as it look, it was better than wandering mindlessly in an empty corridor. Even better they could dominate now this hostile environment.

Once again Adora was full of hope : “ Okay let’s do that !”. Joining the forces, Perfuma and Mermsita opened the ceiling right above their head until there were only a long tunnel illuminated by a surreal light coming from the inside. Olivine filaments and black droplets fell at their feet.

Then the mariner gathered all the waters behind them and, in a burst lifted all the group into the tunnel. It was like sliding into an aquatic toboggan except it went up ! It was awesome ! Few drones came to stop them but she wiped them out like nothing.

“Die, stupid robots !!! You have a sea trapped in your walls and now I am her master !”

\-------------------------

From the control room, SU1 could not believe what he saw. The princess-3’s hydrokynesist power allowed to take control over the Mech-Liquid. One of the most important part of the ship. This was a catastrophe. Not only the rebels were moving faster but the Born-Ship reported more and more critical damages occurring everywhere the rebels went through. He sent all the robots he had. But it was spreading too quickly. The blue Native had to be stopped. Maybe eradicated. Before it doomed them all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> How does SU1 survive in space ? Well how Glimmer did ? Who care !
> 
> By the way, the princesses can use their power because the fleet is close to the planet so the squad have still acess to the Etheria magic wifi. Don't worry, Horde Prime will retreat the fleet after...the thing.
> 
> Mermista's arachnophobia is 100% made-up. It's one those 3 AM ideas. I ahd fun to write the dialogu !


End file.
